Numerous agricultural crops such as tobacco and tomatoes are started in plant beds. Typically, the plant bed is seeded, and after the plants have reached plant maturity, they are pulled from the plant bed and transplanted in the field.
Preparing and managing a plant bed is often a very time consuming and laborious job. First, the plant bed must be fumigated, after which the bed is aerated, disced, fertilized, and finally seeded. It is conventional to provide a fumigation cover for the plant bed during fumigation. This effectively seals the plant bed and maintains the fumigant gases in and around the plant bed area. After fumigation is concluded, the fumigant cover must be removed from the plant bed. Once the plant bed has been seeded and after the seeds have germinated, it is conventional to apply a plant bed cover over the plant bed in order to protect the plants during the early stages of growth. All in all, the time and effort of covering and uncovering the plant bed with the fumigant cover and plant bed cover is very substantial, not to mention the difficulties and incovenience involved.
With labor continuing to be scarce and expensive, there continues to be a real need to reduce the labor required in plant bed operations and to, where possible, reduce cost associated therewith. In view of this, it is clear that labor could be saved and the general convenience of dealing with plant bed operations would be improved if it was possible to provide one single plant bed cover that would accomplish both the function required of a fumigant cover and the function required of a conventional plant bed cover.